Page 53 of I Can't Help It

There’s approximately a foot and a half of space between our bodies. We’re not touching in any possible way. But my nerves are buzzing almost as much as when we were kissing.

I mentally curse myself.

Great. I should NOT be thinking about how we kissed while she’s in bed next to me, and there’s no pillow wall between us.

Is Ava struggling like I am?

“Good night, Luke.” Her voice is soft this time as she says the words, and it’s a welcome contrast from her earlier hostile tone.

Well, if she is struggling, she’s doing a pretty darn good job of hiding it.

I cross my arms to keep myself from reaching for her. “Good night, Ava.”

Now I just have to wait for her to fall asleep.

* * *

I fell asleep.

Yep. I tried my best to stay awake; but at some point, the bed was too comfy to ignore, and Ava’s steady breathing lulled me to sleep.

Don’t ask me how we ended up in this position though. We’re facing each other with only a few inches between us, one of her legs is draped over mine, and YES—I’m internally panicking.

Her bare skin isn’t touching me, but my pulse is racing like crazy anyway. Even still, I don’t dare to move a muscle. If she wakes up, then we have to deal with everything that happened last night. Not that I want her to stay asleep forever like she’s cursed or something; I just need more time before we inevitably fight again.

“I hate fighting with you,” I whisper, resisting the urge to weave my fingers through her hair. “And knowing that I hurt you makes me feel like the biggest jerk in the world.”

I should tell her this when she’s awake, but—

Ava stirs ever-so-slightly with a soft sound, and I almost gasp when she arches herself closer to me. Our hips are practically touching now, which is a hugeeeee red flag, so I ease back as much as I can without falling off the dang bed.

Truthfully, I’m craving to feel her whole body curled up against mine.

Deciding against that pillow wall was a mistake.

A few minutes later, Ava’s eyelashes flutter, and then she slowly opens her eyes.

My favorite shade of green.

She blinks a couple of times, and then her cloudy gaze rests on my face. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I echo softly. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah, I—” She stops and gives me an apologetic look as she moves her leg away from mine. “Sorry. Sometimes I move around a lot in my sleep.”

“It’s okay.”

I wasn’t totally tortured by our legs touching. I was unaffected this whole time.

“How long have you been awake?”

Long enough to know that I could spend an entire day in bed just watching her sleep.

Creep alert.

I swallow as she reaches behind her. “Uh, not long.”

“I didn’t wake you up with any snoring, did I?” she asks, now slipping her glasses on. “I don’t usually snore, but—”

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